Bill Cassidy returned to Capitol Hill on Monday evening with a defiant message about the vote that cost him his political career. The outgoing Louisiana senator, who lost his Republican primary on Saturday after backing Trump's conviction in the 2021 impeachment trial, told reporters he harbors zero regret about the decision.
"I voted to uphold the constitution. It may have cost me my seat, but who cares?" Cassidy said. "I had the privilege of voting to uphold the constitution, isn't that a great thing?"
Trump had endorsed one of Cassidy's primary opponents, effectively sealing the senator's fate after two terms. For years, Cassidy had worked quietly to convince Louisiana voters he remained a Trump supporter despite his impeachment vote on the January 6 fallout. But now, with his Senate career in the rearview, he was openly unapologetic.
"You're looking at a man who loves his country, who feels very, very good about how I serve my country and my constitution and my fellow Americans," Cassidy continued. "Wouldn't all of us want to say, I voted to support the constitution on something momentous? That's the way I feel about it. I'm very pleased about it."
His defeat marks another casualty in Trump's campaign to purge Republican lawmakers who broke with him during his presidency. Cassidy is now part of a growing roster of Republicans who challenged the former president and lost, including those who have signaled more willingness to speak out since announcing their political exits.
When asked if he had future plans for office, Cassidy took a veiled shot at Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. "I respect democracy," he said. "So right now that door just seems to be shut."
On Monday, Cassidy also took aim at a newly created nearly $1.8 billion fund designed to compensate Trump allies who claim they were unjustly investigated or persecuted. The fund potentially includes individuals pardoned for their roles in the Capitol attack.
"We are a nation of laws," Cassidy said. "You can't just make up things."
He argued that Congress should have oversight authority and that voters he met on the campaign trail were focused on economic concerns, not what he characterized as government slush funds operating without legal precedent.
Cassidy's Republican colleagues in Louisiana and Washington offered a cooler reception to his defeat. Senator John Kennedy, also from Louisiana, acknowledged the loss was foreseeable. "Bill's loss was predictable, and Bill knew it," Kennedy said. "And I respect that, and I thank him for his service." He noted that Cassidy's impeachment vote "was an issue, there's no question."
A June 27 runoff will determine Cassidy's successor, pitting Trump-endorsed House member Julia Letlow against state Treasurer John Fleming.
Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's closest allies, had warned on NBC's Meet the Press that those who try to undermine Trump politically would lose. Trump himself posted on social media that it was "nice to see" Cassidy's political career was over.
Only Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of six other Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, expressed regret at Cassidy's exit. "His defeat certainly has implications for us here," she said. "I've appreciated working with him and his leadership."
Cassidy's path to Monday's defiance was long. He had spent five years managing the political fallout from his 2021 impeachment vote, even voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary despite reservations about Kennedy's vaccine skepticism. As a physician and chair of the Senate health committee, Cassidy's vote was influential.
When pressed about that decision on Monday, Cassidy deflected, comparing it to a bad high school date and saying "life is lived forward."
Only two other Republicans who voted to convict remain in the Senate: Murkowski and Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who faces her own challenging reelection battle in her more moderate state.
Author James Rodriguez: "Cassidy's sudden willingness to defend his impeachment vote now that he's leaving office raises a hard question about political courage: does it count as principled if you only stand firm once you've already lost everything?"
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